Method and apparatus for intelligent acquisition of position information

ABSTRACT

Improved methods and systems for position acquisition and/or monitoring are disclosed. The position acquisition and/or monitoring can be performed with improved intelligence so that data acquisition, transmission and/or processing is reduced. As a result, the position acquisition and/or monitoring is able to be performed in a power efficient manner.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/658,258, filed Oct. 21, 2019, and entitled, “METHOD AND APPARATUS FORINTELLIGENT ACQUISITION OF POSITION INFORMATION,” which is herebyincorporated herein by reference in its entirety, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/700,498, now U.S.Pat. No. 10,761,214, filed Sep. 11, 2017, and entitled, “METHOD ANDAPPARATUS FOR INTELLIGENT ACQUISITION OF POSITION INFORMATION,” which ishereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/875,844, filed Oct.6, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,759,817, and entitled, “METHOD ANDAPPARATUS FOR INTELLIGENT ACQUISITION OF POSITION INFORMATION,” which ishereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/802,574, filed Mar.13, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,182,238, and entitled, “METHOD ANDAPPARATUS FOR INTELLIGENT ACQUISITION OF POSITION INFORMATION,” which ishereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/381,776, filed Mar.17, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,074,903, and entitled “METHOD ANDAPPARATUS FOR INTELLIGENT ACQUISITION OF POSITION INFORMATION,” which ishereby incorporated herein by reference, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 11/124,475, filed May 9, 2005, now U.S. Pat.No. 8,285,484, and entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INTELLIGENTACQUISITION OF POSITION INFORMATION,” which is hereby incorporatedherein by reference, which is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/397,473, filed Mar. 26, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,975,941,and entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INTELLIGENT ACQUISITION OFPOSITION INFORMATION,” which is hereby incorporated herein by reference,and which claims the benefit of the following provisional patentapplications: (i) U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/444,198,filed Jan. 30, 2003, and entitled “SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FORACQUIRING, PRESENTING, MONITORING, DELIVERING, MANAGING AND USING STATUSINFORMATION,” which is hereby incorporated herein by reference; (ii)U.S. Provisional patent Application No. 60/418,491, filed Oct. 15, 2002,and entitled “SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ACQUIRING, PRESENTING,MONITORING, DELIVERING, MANAGING AND USING STATUS INFORMATION,” which ishereby incorporated herein by reference; (iii) U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/404,645, filed Aug. 19, 2002, and entitled “SYSTEM,METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ACQUIRING, PRESENTING, MONITORING, DELIVERING,MANAGING AND USING POSITION AND OTHER INFORMATION,” which is herebyincorporated herein by reference; and (iv) U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/375,998, filed Apr. 24, 2002, and entitled “SYSTEM,METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ACQUIRING, PRESENTING, MANAGING AND USINGPOSITION INFORMATION,” which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

This application is also related to: (i) U.S. patent application Ser.No. 10/397,472, filed Mar. 26, 2003, and entitled “METHODS AND APPARATUSTO ANALYZE AND PRESENT LOCATION INFORMATION;” (ii) U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 10/397,637, filed Mar. 26, 2003, and entitled“METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING SHIPMENT TRACKING AND NOTIFICATIONS;”(iii) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/397,641, filed Mar. 26, 2003,and entitled “METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PERSONALIZED MEDICAL MONITORING ANDNOTIFICATIONS THEREFOR;” (iv) U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/397,640, filed Mar. 26, 2003, and entitled “INEXPENSIVE POSITIONSENSING DEVICE;” (v) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/397,474, filedMar. 26, 2003, and entitled “METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ENHANCED MESSAGING;”(vi) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/397,512, filed Mar. 26, 2003,and entitled “APPLICATIONS OF STATUS INFORMATION FOR INVENTORYMANAGEMENT.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to position detection and, moreparticularly, to improved techniques for acquisition of positioninformation.

2. Description of the Related Art

Position determining devices have become popular for motor vehicle orvessel navigation. Typically, these devices utilize the globalavailability of Global Positioning Systems (GPS). These device can bededicated to particular vehicles or vessels. More recently, theseposition determining devices (often known as GPS receivers) have becomeportable.

Unfortunately, these devices, if standalone, are battery operated andnot typically designed to be able to monitor position over a longduration of time. More particularly, because these devices requirefrequent radio-frequency communications, computational processing andinformation display, they consume large amounts of power and thus theirbattery life is limited. Also, these devices remain relatively expensiveand have a relatively large form factor.

As a result, conventional position determining devices are not suitablefor use in many applications due to their power consumption. Thus, thereis a need for position determining devices that have reduced powerconsumption. It would be further advantageous if position determiningdevices were smaller and less expensive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Broadly speaking, the invention relates to improved methods and systemsfor position acquisition and/or monitoring. The position acquisitionand/or monitoring can be performed with improved intelligence so thatdata acquisition, transmission and/or processing is reduced, whichprovides improved power efficiency.

According to one embodiment of the invention, a portable positionacquisition apparatus can include one or more components that have alow-power state which can be used to reduce power consumption of theposition acquisition apparatus. According to another aspect of theinvention, the position acquisition can be performed dependent on one ormore of motion information, at least one battery level characteristic ofa battery, and a change in position. According to still another aspectof the invention, the acquired position information can be transmittedto a remote device (e.g., central server) dependent on one or more ofmotion information, at least one battery level characteristic of abattery, and a change in position. According to still yet another aspectof the invention, a portable, battery-powered position acquisitionapparatus is used to acquire position information and a solar panelprovides electrical charge to its battery.

The invention can be implemented in numerous ways including, a method,system, device, apparatus, and a computer readable medium. Severalembodiments of the invention are discussed below.

Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, theprinciples of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be readily understood by the following detaileddescription in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein likereference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a location monitoring system according toone embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a mobile device according to oneembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of location request processing according to oneembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of location monitoring processing according toone embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of power managed position monitoring accordingto one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of power managed position monitoring accordingto another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary diagram of dynamic threshold dependency.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an article shipment notification systemaccording to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an object tracking system according to oneembodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to improved methods and systems for positionacquisition and/or monitoring. The position acquisition and/ormonitoring can be performed with improved intelligence so that dataacquisition, transmission and/or processing is reduced, which providesimproved power efficiency.

According to one embodiment of the invention, a portable positionacquisition apparatus can include one or more components that have alow-power state which can be used to reduce power consumption of theposition acquisition apparatus. According to another aspect of theinvention, the position acquisition can be performed dependent on one ormore of motion information, at least one battery level characteristic ofa battery, and a change in position. According to still another aspectof the invention, the acquired position information can be transmittedto a remote device (e.g., central server) dependent on one or more ofmotion information, at least one battery level characteristic of abattery, and a change in position. According to still yet another aspectof the invention, a portable, battery-powered position acquisitionapparatus is used to acquire position information and a solar panelprovides electrical charge to its battery.

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth inorder to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention.However, it will become obvious to those skilled in the art that theinvention may be practiced without these specific details. Thedescription and representation herein are the common meanings used bythose experienced or skilled in the art to most effectively convey thesubstance of their work to others skilled in the art. In otherinstances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuitryhave not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuringaspects of the present invention.

Reference herein to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that aparticular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connectionwith the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of theinvention. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in variousplaces in the specification are not necessarily all referring to thesame embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutuallyexclusive of other embodiments. Further, the order of blocks in processflowcharts or diagrams representing one or more embodiments of theinvention do not inherently indicate any particular order nor imply anylimitations in the invention.

Embodiments of the invention are discussed below with reference to FIGS.1-9. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that thedetailed description given herein with respect to these figures is forexplanatory purposes as the invention extends beyond these limitedembodiments.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a location monitoring system 100 accordingto one embodiment of the invention. The location monitoring system 100operates to monitor the location of mobile devices using a GlobalPositioning System (GPS). The location monitoring system 100 includesone or more mobile devices 102. The mobile devices 102 can receiveposition information from a GPS satellite 104. The mobile devices 102also communicate through a wireless link to a base station 106. The basestation 106 in turn can couple to a location monitoring server 108through a public network 110. As an example, the public network 110 caninclude the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), or a local area network(LAN). The location monitoring server 108 typically couples to alocation database 112 which serves to store location information for themobile devices 102.

The location monitoring system 100 also permits a viewer machine 114 tointeract with the location monitoring server 108 through the publicnetwork 110. In this regard, a user of the viewer machine 114 is able tointeract with the location monitoring server 108 to retrieve thelocation (or position) information for one or more of the mobile devices102 using the location data stored in the location database 112.Typically, such location information that is retrieved from the locationdatabase 112 is forwarded from the location monitoring server 108through the public network 110 to the viewer machine 114 where it can bereviewed by the user of the viewer machine 114. As one example, theviewer machine 114 can be a computer, such as a personal computer. Notethat the term viewer machine 114 is used in a general sense. In otherwords, the process of accessing location information at the viewermachine 114 is not limited to visual viewing by way of a screen display.For example, a user can review (receive) such information through audiomeans (e.g., voice).

Since the mobile devices 102 are mobile in nature, and thus batterypowered, the tracking of the location of the mobile devices 102 canimpose a power consumption difficulty for the mobile devices 102. Eachtime one of the mobile devices 102 captures and forwards its location tothe location monitoring server 108, electronic charge from its batteryis consumed for such location monitoring purposes. Hence, although thelocation monitoring system 100 desires to monitor the location of themobile devices 102 on a frequent basis (e.g., at all times, limitedtimes, periodically, on-demand), the mobile devices 102 themselvesshould not be unduly burdened with respect to power consumption for suchpurposes. According to one aspect of the invention, the mobile devices102 operate to conserve power consumption while still permittingconsistent location monitoring.

The mobile devices 102 are typically hand-held devices that operateunder battery control. The mobile devices 102 incorporate locationdetection circuitry but can also include other circuitry to supportother functions associated with the mobile devices 102. For example, themobile devices 102 can further operate as cameras, cellular phones,portable digital assistants (PDAs), or portable computers.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a mobile device 200 according toone embodiment of the invention. The mobile device 200 is, for example,suitable for use as the mobile device 102 illustrated in FIG. 1.

The mobile device 200 includes a controller 202 that controls theoverall operation of the mobile device. The mobile device 200 providesat least location acquisition circuitry but may also include voicecommunication circuitry and/or data communication circuitry. Voicecommunication circuitry is typically found in mobile devices thatoperate as mobile telephones. The data communications are typicallyprovided by mobile devices that operate to permit wireless data transferto and from the mobile device. As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile device 200includes circuitry for monitoring its location (or position). Althoughnot shown in FIG. 2, additional circuitry, such as for voice or datacommunication or data processing, can be provided within the mobiledevice 200.

In one embodiment, the location acquisition circuitry of the mobiledevice 200 includes a GPS receiver 204. The GPS receiver 204 is utilizedto receive GPS signals that are sent by a GPS satellite (such as the GPSsatellite 104 illustrated in FIG. 1). The GPS receiver 204 can becontrolled by the controller 202 to determine when a mobile device 200should be receiving GPS information. When the GPS receiver 204 receivesthe GPS information (e.g., signals received to determine pseudo ranges)from the GPS satellite, the GPS information is typically processed bythe controller 202 to produce location information. The locationinformation is then stored by the controller 202 to a position storageunit 206. The position storage unit 206 can be a data storage device(e.g., RAM or ROM). As examples, the data storage device can be aregister, semiconductor data storage, optical data storage, or magneticdata storage. It should be noted that the GPS receiver 204 can, moregenerally, be considered a position detection unit.

The mobile device 200 is powered by a battery 208 that is typicallyrechargeable. A motion monitoring unit 210 is also provided in themobile device 200. The motion monitoring unit 210 couples to thecontroller 202 to provide motion information to the controller 202. Themotion information is able to be determined based on one or a pluralityof criteria that are monitored at the mobile device via the motionmonitoring unit 210. Examples of such criteria include: acceleration,vibration, force, speed, and direction.

The motion monitoring unit 210 can be formed or constructed in a numberof ways. In one embodiment, the motion monitoring unit 210 uses amicro-machined structure to sense motion. Accelerometers are known inthe art and suitable for use as the motion monitoring unit 210. See,e.g., Dinsmore sensors available from Robson Company, Inc. of Erie, Pa.Various other types of sensors besides accelerometers can beadditionally or alternatively used in sensing the criteria (e.g.,vibration, force, speed, and direction) used in determining motion. Forparticularly low power designs, the one or more sensors used can belargely mechanical.

In one embodiment, by reducing the frequency at which the GPS receiver204 is required to request, receive and resolve GPS information, themobile device 200 is able to save power and thus extend the useful lifeof the battery 208. Further, the reduction in use of the GPS receiver204 also operates to reduce the demands on wireless network bandwidth intransmitting and managing such location information.

In another embodiment, the motion monitoring unit 210 enables the GPSreceiver 204 to remain in a low-power state (such as a sleep state)until an updated location for the mobile device 200 is needed. In otherwords, the motion monitoring unit 210 can monitor the motion of themobile device 200 such that if only minimal motion of the mobile device200 has been detected since the last location of the mobile device 200was obtained utilizing the GPS receiver 204, then the controller 202 canassume (e.g., estimate) that the location of the mobile device 200 issubstantially the same and thus need not wake-up (i.e., transition tonormal power state) the GPS receiver 204 to acquire and process new GPSinformation. As a result, the GPS receiver 204 can remain in itslow-power state and the controller 202 need not perform computations toresolve the GPS information to location information.

The mobile device 200 also includes a communication interface 212 and aRF transceiver 214. The communication interface 212 and the RFtransceiver 214 enable the mobile device 200 to communicate with acentral station, such as the base station 106 illustrated in FIG. 1.Hence, the mobile device 200 is able to wirelessly communicate with thebase station 106 to provide location information to the base station106, which then forwards the location information to the locationmonitoring server 108 for storage.

In general, the motion monitoring unit 210 serves to provide motioninformation to the controller 202. The motion information can be merelya control signal from the motion monitoring unit 210, or morecomplicated signals or data (e.g., position). Processing of the motioninformation can be performed at the controller 202, though processingcould have additionally or alternatively have been performed at themotion monitoring unit 210. In any case, in one embodiment, the motioninformation can be used by the controller 202 to determine the degree ofmotion. For example, the controller 202 can measure the relative motionof the mobile device 200, such as with respect to a previous position.As another example, the motion monitoring unit 210 and/or the controller202 can accumulate the motion of the mobile device 200 with respect to aspecific previous position or status.

In one embodiment, the motion monitoring unit 210 or the controller 202can use more than one type of criteria to identify the motion of themobile device 200. For example, both the acceleration and speedinformation across a duration of time can be used to determine thedistance the mobile device 200 has traveled. In yet another example, thedistance the mobile device 200 has traveled can incorporate directioninformation. Just to illustrate, assume the mobile device 200 hastraveled north at a constant speed for 10 meters and then changes 180degrees and traveled south at the same speed for 10 meters. The mobiledevice 200 can sense different types of motion, e.g., speed and changeof direction. The motion monitoring unit 210 and/or the controller 202can perform calculations to determine whether the mobile device 200 hasany net movement.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of location request processing 300 according toone embodiment of the invention. The location request processing 300 is,for example, performed by a mobile device, such as the mobile device 102illustrated in FIG. 1 or the mobile device 200 illustrated in FIG. 2.

The location request processing 300 begins with a decision 302 thatdetermines whether a location request has been received from arequestor. When the decision 302 determines that a location request hasnot yet been received, the location request processing 302 awaits such arequest. When the decision 302 determines that a location request hasbeen received, then motion information for the mobile device is obtained304. For example, the motion information can be obtained from the motionmonitoring unit 210 illustrated in FIG. 2. The motion information can,for example, pertain to an accumulation of motion during a time periodor can pertain to a maximum motion during a time period. Motion refersto one or a combination of physical conditions on a mobile device, suchas acceleration, velocity, force, vibration, etc.

Next, a decision 306 determines whether the motion is greater than athreshold amount. When the decision 306 determines that the motion isgreater than a threshold amount, then the GPS receiver of the mobiledevice is powered-up 308. A current location for the mobile device isthen determined 310 using the GPS receiver. Typically, the GPS receiverwill obtain GPS information and a controller (or processor) will processthe GPS information to produce a current location (or position). Afterthe current location has been determined 310, the GPS receiver can bepowered-down 312. Here, the GPS receiver is returned to a low-powerstate so as to conserve power. As an example, the low-power state (orpowered-down state) can be a sleep mode or it can be a disabled mode.The current location is then saved 314. As an example, the currentlocation can be saved 314 to a local storage unit, such as the positionstorage unit 206 illustrated in FIG. 2. The current location can betransmitted 316 to an appropriate destination. Typically, the currentlocation would be transmitted to a location monitoring server (e.g.,location monitoring server 108), and then transmitted as a datacommunication to the requestor, if the requestor is a remote requestor.

The current location could be transmitted separately or as a group or abatch of locations. For example, the mobile device could store thecurrent locations and the time for such locations in the positionstorage unit and then transmit a group of such locations to the locationmonitoring server (e.g., location monitoring server 108) when needed,when convenient or when the position storage unit is nearly full. Here,the position storage unit is able to provide buffering of the locations.Alternatively or additionally, the current location could be sent to therequestor's device. Further, the current location could also be sent ina background mode if the mobile device supports other communications,for example, Short Message Service (SMS) messaging or voicecommunications.

On the other hand, when the decision 306 determines that the motion isnot greater than the threshold, then the last location for the mobiledevice is retrieved 318. Typically, the last location would be retrievedfrom the local storage unit, such as the position storage unit 206illustrated in FIG. 2. The current location for the mobile device isthen set 320 to the last location. In other words, the current locationis set to be the same as the previous location for the mobile device.Thereafter, the operation 316 can be performed to transmit the currentlocation to the location monitoring server and/or the requestor.

Additionally, if desired, the use of a prior location or last locationas the current location could be further restricted such that a locationcould time-out. For example, if it has been more than some time duration(e.g. 24 hours) since a last location was obtained using the GPSreceiver, such location could be deemed “stale”. Then the requestprocessing 300 could activate the GPS receiver and determine a currentlocation with operations 308-316 even though the motion for the mobiledevice has not exceeded the threshold.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of location monitoring processing 400 accordingto one embodiment of the invention. The location monitoring processing400 begins with a decision 402 that determines whether a timer hasexpired. When the decision 402 determines that the timer has not yetexpired, then the location monitoring processing 400 awaits such anevent. In other words, the location monitor processing 400 is invoked ona periodic basis to check the location for a mobile device.Alternatively, the location monitor processing 400 could be invoked onan event basis other than time, such as a motion event, though thisembodiment is discussed with reference to a timer event.

When the decision 402 determines that a timer event has occurred, thenmotion information is obtained 404. The motion information can beaccumulated during an interval or merely a maximum motion indicationduring an interval, or some other motion criteria. A decision 406 thendetermines whether the motion is greater than a threshold. When thedecision 406 determines that the motion is greater than the threshold,the GPS receiver is powered-up 408. Then, the current location isdetermined 410 using the GPS receiver. After the current location hasbeen determined 410, the GPS receiver is powered-down 412. The currentlocation is saved 414. Alternatively, when the decision 406 determinesthat the motion is not greater than the threshold, then the operations408-414 are bypassed such that the motion information is utilized toavoid having to again determine a location when the amount of movementhas been insufficient to cause a substantial change in location. Inwhich case, power consumption by the GPS receiver and the processing oflocation information is able to be substantially reduced such thatbattery life is prolonged. After the operation 414, or its beingbypassed, the location monitor processing 400 is complete and ends.

It should be noted that the determination of the current location atoperation 410 could utilize simply GPS information received from the GPSreceiver, or need not fully resolve the location of the mobile device(e.g., pseudo ranges) or some partially processed variant therefrom.

The location monitor processing 400 is suitable for around-the-clocktype monitoring of the location of a mobile device. The motion criteriaand the low power maintenance of the GPS receiver allow the mobiledevice to significantly reduce its power consumption while stillproviding constant location monitoring. The location monitor processing400 is also suitable for use in having the mobile device “push” itslocation when it has changed (even though not being requested by arequestor). For example, the mobile device could “push” its locationwhen a threshold condition is exceeded.

Additional power management approaches can be utilized in conjunction orin combination with those for the use of the GPS receiver. Stillfurther, in addition to utilizing a low-power state for the GPS receiverand the use of motion information, other techniques can be utilized. Forexample, with respect to FIG. 4, if periodically polled, the pollingfrequency can be decreased if the battery charge is deemed low. Forexample, if the battery for the mobile device has gotten rather low, itneeds recharged. However, since the battery is already low, the pollingfrequency could be decreased such that the lifetime of the battery canbe extended in the event that the battery is not recharged promptly. Inone embodiment, the duration of a timer can be extended to decrease thepooling frequency. Likewise, the threshold level could be varieddepending on battery level. Further, the amount of processing performedwith respect to the GPS information received from the GPS receiverand/or its resolution can be minimally processed at the mobile device tosave power. Also, in the event that the location information needs to befurther processed, such processing could be performed at a centralizedor remote site such as the location monitoring server. Also, as notedabove, the sending of the location data can be done more efficiently,such as in groups or batches, or in a background mode. Still further,the polling frequency could be increased to gather more locationinformation if the motion information indicates that the mobile deviceis undergoing a high degree of motion.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of power managed position monitoring 500according to one embodiment of the invention. The power managed positionmonitoring 500 can, for example, be performed by the mobile device 200shown in FIG. 2, which can be used as a position monitoring apparatus.

The power managed position monitoring 500 begins with a decision 502that determines whether a motion event has occurred. When the decision502 determines that a motion event has not occurred, a decision 504determines whether a time event has occurred. When the decision 504determines that a time event has not occurred, then the power managedposition monitoring 500 returns to repeat the decision 502 andsubsequent operations. In other words, the power managed positionmonitoring 500 is effectively invoked when a motion event has occurredor a time event has occurred. In one implementation, the time event canbe set to a lengthy delay such as 24 hours so that a time event occursevery 24 hours which guarantees that one position will be obtained on a24 hour basis regardless of motion. In one implementation, the motionevent is triggered based on a threshold level. The threshold level canbe dynamically changed or selected based on various conditions.

When the decision 502 determines that a motion event has occurred orwhen the decision 504 determines that a time event has occurred, thepositioning detection unit of the position monitoring apparatus isactivated 506. Then, using a position detection unit, positioninformation is acquired 508. Thereafter, the position detection unit isdeactivated 510. Here, in order to conserve power, the positiondetection unit remains inactive, which can pertain to powered-off,disabled, sleep, hibernate, or other low power mode. It is only whenposition information is to be acquired that the position detection unitis activated.

Next, a decision 512 determines whether a substantial position changehas occurred. Here, the position information that has been acquired 508is compared to a prior position information that was previouslyacquired. When the difference in position indicates that there has beenno substantial position change, then a decision 514 determines whether atime event has occurred. Here, the time event can provide a fail safesuch that a position is obtained once during the period provided by thetime event regardless of change in position. Here, the time event can bethe same time event or a different time event than that used with thedecision 504. When the decision 514 determines that a time event has notoccurred, then the power managed position monitoring 500 returns torepeat the decision 502 and subsequent operations.

On the other hand, when the decision 512 determines that a substantialposition change has occurred or when the decision 514 determines that atime event has occurred, then additional processing is carried out totransmit the position information to a remote device. More particularly,a communication module of the position monitoring apparatus is activated516. Then, the position information is transmitted 518 to a remotedevice. Typically, the remote device provides centralized storage andprocessing for position information pertaining to a plurality ofposition monitoring apparatuses. After the position information has beentransmitted 518, the communication module is deactivated 520. Here, inorder to conserve power, the communication module remains inactive,which can pertain to powered-off, disabled, sleep, hibernate, or otherlow power mode. It is only when position information is to betransmitted (or received) from a remote device that the communicationmodule is activated. Following the operation 520, the power managedposition monitoring 500 returns to repeat the decision 502 andsubsequent operations so that subsequent motion events and time eventscan be similarly processed.

The power managed position monitoring 500 indicates that the positiondetection unit and the communication module of the position monitoringapparatus can be maintained in a low-power state until such circuitry isneeded. This results in a substantial savings in power consumption bythe position monitoring apparatus. Further, the position monitoringapparatus is thus suitable for long term, constant (e.g., 24/7) positionmonitoring. Additionally, should the position monitoring apparatusinclude a controller, the controller can also be set to a low-powerstate when position information is not being acquired or transmitted. Insuch a low-power state, the controller might still be able to monitorfor motion events and time events and might also be capable ofmonitoring, or even waking itself up, when a request from a remotedevice is received.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of power managed position monitoring 600according to another embodiment of the invention. The power managedposition monitoring 600 is, for example, performed by the positionmonitoring apparatus 200 shown in FIG. 2.

The power managed position monitoring 600 obtains 602 a motionindication. The motion indication pertains to motion that the positionmonitoring apparatus has undergone. For example, the motion indicationmight indicate a maximum motion that has occurred during a time periodor since last evaluated, or an accumulation of motion that has occurredduring the time period or since last evaluated. The motion indicationmight pertain to acceleration, velocity, vibration and the like. Inaddition, a battery level indication is obtained 604. The battery levelindication might, for example, pertain to or depend on a charge level ofthe battery or a voltage level of the battery. Next, a threshold levelis obtained 606 based on at least the battery level indication. Here,the threshold level to be utilized is variable depending upon at leastthe battery level indication.

A decision 608 determines whether the motion indication is greater thanthe threshold level. When the decision 608 determines that the motionindication is greater than the threshold level, the position informationis acquired 610. The position information pertains to the positionmonitoring apparatus. Then, the position information is transmitted 612to a remote device. Typically, the remote device provides centralizedstorage and processing for position information pertaining to aplurality of position monitoring apparatuses.

Following the operation 612, as well as following the decision 608 whenthe motion indication does not exceed the threshold level, a delayedperiod is obtained 614. The delay period can be static or dynamic. Inother words, the delay period can be fixed or the delay period can varydepending upon other considerations. In one implementation, the delayperiod can be varied depending upon the battery level indication. Forexample, if the battery level indication indicates that the batterycharge is low, the delay period can be increased so as to prolong theability of the position monitoring apparatus to monitor its position.Once the delay period is obtained 614, the power managed positionmonitoring 600 delays 616 for the delay period. During the delay periodthe various components, modules, units or circuitry of the positionmonitoring apparatus can be placed in a low power state so as topreserve power during the delay period. After the delay period, thepower managed position monitoring 600 returns to repeat the operation602 and subsequent operations so that additional position informationcan be acquired and transmitted as appropriate.

In this embodiment, the threshold level is based on at least the batterylevel indication. As the battery level indication indicates that thecharge of the battery is low, the threshold level for the motionindication comparison can be increased so that position information isacquired and transmitted less frequently, thereby conserving power ofthe battery that has limited available charge.

Although the power managed position monitoring 600 is capable ofaltering the threshold level based on the battery level indication aswell as capable of altering the delay period based on the battery levelindication or other considerations, it should be understood that, moregenerally, that position monitoring can be power managed using one orboth of threshold level adjustment and delay period adjustment. Forexample, the power managed position monitoring 600 could use a staticthreshold level (e.g., static with respect to battery level) and alterthe delay period based on the battery level indication.

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary diagram of dynamic threshold dependency700. The dynamic threshold dependency pertains to a threshold utilizedby the position monitoring apparatus. For example, the threshold can bea degree of motion or an amount of time. For example, the degree ofmotion can pertain to a motion threshold utilized in the decision 608 ofthe power managed position monitoring 600 shown in FIG. 6, and theamount of time can pertain to a time threshold utilized by the operation614 of the power managed position monitoring 600 shown in FIG. 6. Asanother example, the degree of motion can be used with the motion eventat the decision 502 of the power managed position monitoring 500 shownin FIG. 5, and the time events at the decisions 504 and 514 of the powermanaged position monitoring 500 shown in FIG. 5.

In any case, the thresholds can vary or depend upon one or more variousconsiderations. These considerations include, as illustrated in FIG. 7,one or a combination of position, server configuration, time,resolution, battery level, service level, interested partyconfiguration, and network availability.

The threshold can vary depending upon the position of the positionmonitoring apparatus. Consequently, position information could beacquired more often in some positions and less often in other positions.For example, a certain part of town where the layout is quitecomplicated, with many closely-spaced one-way streets, might requiremore frequent acquisition of position information. However, a rural areamay lead to less frequent acquisition of position information.

The server configuration can pertain to that configuration of a remotedevice (e.g., remote server) that provides centralized storage andmanagement of position information of many position monitoringapparatuses. Here, the server configuration can control the one or morethresholds utilized so that the position information is obtained inaccordance with the server configuration. Although the applications canvary, one example is that a server may want to set limits on positionacquisition or transmission of remote devices.

The thresholds can also vary with time. For example, during peak useperiods of the remote device, the thresholds can be higher so that lessposition information is acquired. This can be because during peak useperiods, the bandwidth becomes limited. Also, power consumption istypically higher during peak use. This can be done by increasing thethresholds during peak time to discourage usage. In contrast, duringnon-peak use periods, the thresholds can be set lower. From a differentperspective, the peak use can refer to the peak use of the positionmonitoring apparatus. Then, during certain period of time, if a userdesires more frequent position information, then the thresholds can belower during those periods so that more position information isacquired.

A resolution for the position information can be set by a remote userthrough the remote server and/or can be set directly on the positionmonitoring apparatus. For example, the position monitoring apparatus canpermit a user to set a resolution, such as low, medium or highresolution. Depending upon the type of resolution being selected, thethresholds can vary so that the desired resolution can be achieved.

The battery level can affect the thresholds as noted above.

Thresholds can be changed according to the type of subscriptions orservice charges. For example, the system providing the capabilities ofthe location monitoring services may provide different service levelsfor the users of the system. In which case, the different service levelscan signal different threshold levels. This allows those users that haveagreed to utilize more expensive service levels to obtain improved, highend or better resolution position information.

Interested parties can interact with the remote device or server througha web interface. As such, interested parties can themselves requestconfiguration or monitoring capabilities through the web interface. Theinterested party can change configurations to affect the thresholdlevels.

Still further, network availability can affect the threshold levels. Forexample, when network availability is low, the threshold levels can beincreased. On the other hand, when network availability is high, thethreshold levels could be decreased.

The invention also relates to improved approaches for monitoring statusof articles being shipped. The monitoring can produce notifications tointerested parties. The notifications typically contain statusinformation pertaining to the articles being shipped. Alternatively,interested parties can gain access to status information pertaining tothe articles being shipped via a website. According to one embodiment,the status information includes at least position (location) informationand shipping conditions information.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an article shipment notification system 800according to one embodiment of the invention. The article shipmentnotification system 800 provides web-based article shipment managementcapable of not only tracking the shipment of articles but also providingnotifications to users of the system.

The article shipment notification system 800 includes a shipper 802 anda recipient 804. Typically, the article shipment notification system 800would support multiple shippers and multiple recipients. However, in theembodiment shown in FIG. 8, only the shipper 802 and the recipient 804are illustrated. It is assumed that an article is being shipped by theshipper 802 to the recipient 804. A shipper is a person, entity orassociated computing device that is responsible for or associated withshipping an article, and a recipient is a person, entity or associatedcomputing device to which the article is being shipped.

In order to track the location and shipping conditions of the articlebeing shipped from the shipper 802 to the recipient 804, a trackingdevice (TD1) 806 is provided within or attached to the article beingshipped. Additionally, a second tracking device (TD2) 808 is alsoillustrated in FIG. 8 which could be used to track another article. Thefirst tracking device 806 and the second tracking device 808 are coupledto a wireless network 810. In general, the article shipment notificationsystem 800 supports many different tracking devices. Typically, for eacharticle being tracked, the article shipment notification system 800would use a separate tracking device.

The wireless network 810 is coupled to the Internet 812. Further, atracking server 814 is coupled to the Internet 812. The tracking server814 also couples to a tracking database 816. The Internet 812 can bereplaced by other data networks (e.g., enterprise network, regionalnetwork, Local Area Network, or Wide Area Network).

While an article is being shipped from the shipper 802 to the recipient804, the first tracking device 806 gathers status information associatedwith the article. The status information includes at least position(location) information and/or shipping conditions information. Theposition information is obtained typically from a global positioningsystem (GPS) receiver within the first tracking device 806. The positioninformation can be obtained or augmented by a local positioning systemsuch as utilized with a local network (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, etc.).The shipping conditions information pertains to conditions of orsurrounding an article during its shipment. The shipping conditionsinformation can vary with application. Examples of shipping conditionsthat can be provided within shipping conditions information include oneor more of vibration, acceleration, speed, or direction of travel of, orforce or pressure on, the article. Other examples of shipping conditionsthat can be provided within shipping conditions information include oneor more of temperature, humidity, pressure, gaseous or liquid states,chemical compositions, wind speed, color composition, scent, light,sound, smoke, particle or radiation (e.g., infrared radiation).

The status information that is obtained by the first tracking device 806is sent by the first tracking device 806 to the tracking server 814 viathe wireless network 810 and the Internet 812. The tracking server 814stores the status information pertaining to the first tracking device806 into the tracking database 816 such that it is associated with theparticular article being shipped. The tracking server 814 tracks theshipment of various articles, and thus stores status informationpertaining to the particular articles being shipped.

As the article is being shipped, the tracking server 814 can alsomonitor the status information associated with the first tracking device806 (as well as other tracking devices used with the article shipmentnotification system 800). The tracking server 814 can produce and sendvarious notifications to shippers and/or recipients of articles beingshipped using the article shipment notification system 800. Moreparticularly, the tracking server 814 can monitor the status informationprovided by the first tracking device 806 and determine whether and whento send notifications to either the shipper 802 or the recipient 804, orboth.

In one embodiment, the shipper 802 and/or the recipient 804 can providenotification criteria to the tracking server 814. The shipper 802 andthe recipient 804 are coupled to the Internet 812 and thus can supplynotification criteria to the tracking server 814 (as well as receivenotifications from the tracking server 814). The notification criteriacan specify the channel, timing and nature of the notifications to bereceived. The notification messages can be transmitted through differentchannels, such as electronic mail, text message (e.g., page, instantmessage, etc.), voice call, and facsimile. The timing, for example, canbe periodic (e.g., daily) or on events or conditions. The nature of thenotification messages can vary based on circumstances and/or userpreferences. For example, the user might only desire urgent messages andnot messages of lesser priorities. As another example, the user mightwant to receive messages in an abbreviated format as opposed to adetailed format. As still another example, the user might want toreceive warning messages or messages indicating that corrective actionis suggested, but opt not to receive regular status messages. In oneembodiment, the notification criteria can also be considered userconfiguration data.

The article shipment notification system 800 can allow the shipper 802and the recipient 804 to interact with the tracking server 814 through aweb interface so that such users are able to configure or set-up toreceive certain notifications. The web interface can facilitate a userin arranging to receive notifications by indicating notificationcriteria. For example, through use of the web interface, a user can makeuser selections to indicate the notifications to be received and whereand by what channels the notifications are to be provided.

The article shipment notification system 800 can provide variousdifferent notifications to interested users, such as the shipper 802 andthe recipient 804. For example, the shipper 802 might receive anotification that the article shipment has been delayed, a notificationthat the article has been delivered (arrived at the destination), anotification that shipping conditions violations have occurred, or anotification of the position of the article. For example, the recipient804 might receive notifications such as a notification that an articlehas been shipped identifying the recipient as the person or entityreceiving the article, a notification that an article being shipped tothe recipient is nearby, and a notification that an article will bedelivered to the recipient shortly (optionally including an estimateddelivery time), a notification of shipping conditions violations, or anotification of the position of the article.

The article shipment notification system 800 can also include at leastone third-party 818. The third-party 818 is a user interested in theshipment of the article other than the shipper 802 or the recipient 804.The article shipment notification system 800 can operate (or beconfigured to operate) to provide certain notifications to thethird-party 818. The above-mentioned web interface can be used toconfigure or set-up such notifications. As examples, the third-party 818can represent a shipping entity, an insurance company, a managementorganization, a financial organization, etc.

In one embodiment, the notifications can have different levels. Thelevel of a notification can depend on security clearance, authorization,ranks within companies, or the recipient. For example, a notificationdirected to an insurance company might contain all available statusinformation. In another example, a notification directed to a recipientof the article might only contain selected types/portions of statusinformation (e.g., time of arrival but not humidity information).

The notification can be initiated by a server, such as the trackingserver 804, or on-demand by a requestor (e.g., interested user).

The invention is suitable for asset management, such as trackinglocation/position of assets and monitoring conditions of assets. Assetscan, for example, include: packages, purchased goods, movingboxes/creates, and pallets.

The position resolution can be enhanced through use of a communitylayout and/or profile information.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an object tracking system 900 according toone embodiment of the invention. The object tracking system 900 can beused to track various objects including packages, humans, pets and thelike. The object tracking system 900 includes a plurality of wirelessdevices 902. These wireless devices 902 are provided with or proximateto objects being tracked by the object tracking system 900. These mobiledevices 902 have GPS receivers that can receive GPS position informationfrom a GPS system 903. The acquisition of such position information canbe performed on demand, periodically or on need. The mobile devices 902communicate over wireless links with a wireless network 904. Thewireless network 904 then couples to a wired network 906. A locationmanagement server 908 is coupled to the wireless network 906. Thelocation management server 908 provides centralized storage of thelocation information for each of the mobile devices 902 in a locationdatabase 910. A map database 912 is also coupled to the locationmanagement server 908. The map database 912 can directly connect to thelocation management server 908 or can reside elsewhere on the wirednetwork 906. The location management server 908 can interact with themap database 912 to convert position information provided by the GPSinformation into map coordinates, street addresses, etc.

In addition, the object tracking system 900 also includes a communitylayout server 914. The community layout server 914 can be coupled to thewired network 906 or the wireless network 904. In one embodiment, acommunity can be associated with a commercial building, a shopping mall,a residential community and the like. The community layout server 914interacts with a community layout database 916 to resolve locations,such as street addresses and cross streets, into more intelligiblelocations in a community. For example, instead of a street address, thelocations can pertain to points of interest with respect to thecommunity. As an illustration, in the case of a commercial building,with five floors, the community layout database 916 would convert theGPS information (plus any additional sensor information relevant tomaking the determination also provided by the mobile device 902, such asaltitude and direction) to obtain a community location or point ofinterest. For example, using the GPS position information together withother sensor information, the community layout server 914 can interactwith the community layout database 916 to precisely locate a particularmobile device 902 to a particular point of interest. In the case of thecommercial building with five floors, the mobile device 902 can bepinpointed to the third floor which pertains to the corporation Acme,Inc. The point of interest or community position can then be sent fromthe community layout server 914 through the wired network 906 to thelocation management server 908 which then in turn stores the communityposition or point of interest in the location database 910 as theposition of the particular mobile device 902.

Once the location database 910 has the positions of the mobile devices902, when subsequent position data is sent to the location managementserver 908, these positions are suitably updated in the locationdatabase 910. Additionally, other of the mobile devices 902 or arepresentative client machine 918 coupled through an Internet ServiceProvider (ISP) 920 to the wired network 906 can be permitted to accessthe locations of one or more of the mobile devices 902. Assuming thatthe requesting party is allowed access to said position information, therequest for such information is processed by the location managementserver 908. When permission is granted, the locations desired areretrieved from the location database 910 and returned to either therequesting mobile devices 902 or the requesting client machine 918. In asimilar manner, access to other non-location information (i.e.,additional sensor information or conditions information) pertaining tothe mobile devices 902 can be available.

In one embodiment, the client machine 918 or a particular one of themobile devices 902 can set up a private or semi-private web page that ishosted by a server (e.g., the location management server 908 or otherserver) on the wired network 906. Then, the page can be customized tomonitor the location of a number of the mobile devices 902. Hence,thereafter, the requestor need only access the customized web page toobtain the current position information for such mobile devices. Withsuch an embodiment, a web page could be provided to track a plurality ofpackages being transported from a warehouse to a customer. In anotherembodiment, a similar web page can be setup to allow a parent to trackthe position of mobile devices that are affixed to his children suchthat the parent can easily monitor the position of his children. In thisexample, the object tracked is a living being (e.g., person).

The object tracking system 900 could also be augmented by wirelessprofile devices 922. These profile devices 922 can wirelessly couple tothe mobile devices 902 using the wireless network 904. The profiledevices 922 could be short range transmitters or transceivers. Theprofile devices 922 could store one or more profiles for a particularlocation in which they reside.

Hence, the mobile device 902 can wirelessly communicate with the profiledevice 922, if available, to acquire a profile pertaining to itslocation. For example, with the profile device 922 placed in the officebuilding of Acme, Inc., when the mobile device 902 is in such officebuilding, the mobile device 902 can acquire the profile from theproximate profile device 922. The profile can include the business name,its location, contact information for the business, etc. Thereafter,some or all of the profile information can be stored in the mobiledevice 902 and/or forwarded to the location management server 908 orother server for storage. Hence, the location provided by the profilemay be more exacting and descriptive than the GPS position, such thatthe location of the mobile device 902 can be better determined.

In some cases it may be useful to control or limit the wirelesscommunications with respect to the profile devices 922 so that themobile devices 902 do not inadvertently receive the wrong profile.Various techniques can be utilized to provide control over the wirelesscommunications. For example, the profile device 922 may or may not use adirectional antenna. As another example, the profile device 922 couldalso control (e.g., limit) its transmission power.

In one embodiment of package tracking and monitoring, a GPS-enabledmobile device is attached to a package. As the package travels, themobile device periodically sends its position information wirelessly toa center. This can be done, for example, through a cellular connection.The center keeps track of the package's location, and can post its pathon a Web site. A user might have to pay to access the locationinformation. For example, at 3 am in the morning, the user can log intothe site, and enter a password to find out that the package is on the9th floor of the Empire State Building (e.g., it destination), or moreparticularly the package is at the office of Acme, Inc. on the 9th floorof the Empire State Building.

In one embodiment, in addition to position information, otheridentifying information can also be automatically included based onradio frequency identification (RFID) tags. The RFID tags typicallyinclude memory chips equipped and radio antennas. They can be attachedto objects (or people) to transmit data about the objects. Typically,the memory chips do not include tremendous amount of information. Theymay only have 2 kilobytes of data, sufficient to encode, such as aserial number, where and when the product was manufactured, and otherrelevant information. These tags can come in a number of configurations.For example, an active tag uses a battery-powered transponder to emit aconstant signal carrying the identifying information programmed into thechip. Active tags are more applicable to situations where readers arenot close to the tags. A semi-passive tag likewise has a battery, butmay not be activated until it receives a signal from a reader. They aremore applicable to situations that do not need continuous tracking. Apassive tag has no battery; its antenna extracts power from the reader'sradio wave signal to transmit the identifying information on the chip.Passive tags are typically relatively inexpensive, but may have to bewithin a few feet of a reader to extract power. The tags can provideidentifying information to the corresponding positioning information,which may also include temporal information. Together, the location andidentification of assets can be automatically tracked.

In still another embodiment, personalized asset management or objecttracking can be provided. For example, a user can track a package orobject being shipped at her convenience. Such tracking can be achievedindependent of a shipping entity that ships the package. Arepresentative scenario is as follows. A user acquires a location-aware(e.g., GPS-aware) mobile communication device, such as alimited-functionality mobile telephone or 2-way pager, and places themobile communication device in or on the package or object. The usermakes note of the identifier for the mobile communication device. Then,periodically or on-demand, the user can determine the precise locationof her package. In one implementation, the user (or a server on theuser's behalf) sends a message to the mobile communication object. Themessage can be a voice or text message, or other form of data, thatsimply requests the mobile communication device to get its presentlocation. The mobile communication device then determines its location.The mobile communication device can determine its location, for example,by directly using a GPS receiver or indirectly via another device in itsimmediate vicinity having GPS awareness. Further, battery lifetime canbe conserved using the intelligent GPS information acquisitionapproaches noted in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/375,998.The mobile communication device then replies back (e.g., through voiceor text message) to the user (or server) to inform of its presentlocation. The user can, for example, call or page the mobilecommunication device and get the reply message. Alternatively, the userneed only access the server to access the location data it holds for thepackage or object associated with the mobile communication device. Theserver can also automatically track these mobile communication deviceand alert the users when problems or delays in its transport areidentified. Further, alerts or message could notify a recipient orsender of an object or package when the same is determined to bein-route, arrived at and/or proximate to its destination. Besideslocation, the reply message could also provide other information such asvelocity, temperature, humidity, pressure, forces or stresses.

In one embodiment, the mobile device (mobile communication device) caninclude a solar panel. The solar panel can provide electrical power forthe mobile device. The solar panel can thus charge a battery used topower the mobile device and/or itself power the mobile device. When themobile device is affixed to a person to be monitored, the solar panelcan remain at least partially exposed to the outside environment so asto be able to receive light. The solar panel can be integrated with thehousing of the mobile device or can be separate and coupled to themobile device via one or more wires (e.g., a cable).

The present invention has described one or more GPS devices as toidentify a location. However, the present invention is not limited tousing GPS devices. In certain situations, other wireless or mobiledevices can also serve as location-designating devices or positiondetection units, such as devices based on GSM technologies, Bluetooth orWi-Fi technologies. Through the techniques of triangulation, thesedevices can also designate a location. Such triangulation techniquesshould be known to those skilled in the art.

As noted above, the location monitoring provided through used of themobile devices can be used to monitor location of objects. The objectswhose location is being monitored can vary with application. Examples ofobjects that can be monitored include people, animals (e.g., pets),articles (e.g., packages, vehicles, vessels), or other assets.

A number of embodiments have been described based on a mobile device.Generally speaking, the mobile device can be a cell phone, a personaldigital assistant, a pager, camera, a personal computer or other deviceswith communication capabilities. The form factor of the mobile devicecan be small, such as wearable, pager sized or smaller, or pocket sized.Additional information on mobile devices is provided in U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 10/397,640, filed Mar. 26, 2003, and entitled“INEXPENSIVE POSITION SENSOR,” which is hereby incorporated herein byreference.

The above-described systems, devices, methods and processes can be usedtogether with other aspects of a monitoring system, including thevarious aspects described in: (i) U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 60/444,198, filed Jan. 30, 2003, and entitled “SYSTEM, METHOD ANDAPPARATUS FOR ACQUIRING, PRESENTING, MONITORING, DELIVERING, MANAGINGAND USING STATUS INFORMATION,” which is hereby incorporated herein byreference; (ii) U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/418,491,filed Oct. 15, 2002, and entitled “SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FORACQUIRING, PRESENTING, MONITORING, DELIVERING, MANAGING AND USING STATUSINFORMATION,” which is hereby incorporated herein by reference; (iii)U.S. Provisional patent Application No. 60/404,645, filed Aug. 19, 2002,and entitled “SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ACQUIRING, PRESENTING,MONITORING, DELIVERING, MANAGING AND USING POSITION AND OTHERINFORMATION,” which is hereby incorporated herein by reference; and (iv)U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/375,998, filed Apr. 24, 2002,and entitled “SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ACQUIRING, PRESENTING,MANAGING AND USING POSITION INFORMATION,” which is hereby incorporatedherein by reference.

The various embodiments, implementations, features and aspects of theinvention noted above (including those incorporated by reference) can becombined in various ways or used separately. Those skilled in the artwill understand from the description that the invention can be equallyapplied to or used in other various different settings with respect tovarious combinations, embodiments, implementations or features providedin the description herein.

The invention can be implemented in software, hardware or a combinationof hardware and software. The invention, or at least certain softwareportions of the invention, can also be embodied as computer readablecode on a computer readable medium. The computer readable medium is anydata storage device that can store data which can thereafter be read bya computer system. Examples of the computer readable medium includeread-only memory, random-access memory, CD-ROMs, magnetic tape, opticaldata storage devices, and carrier waves. The computer readable mediumcan also be distributed over network-coupled computer systems so thatthe computer readable code is stored and executed in a distributedfashion.

The advantages of the invention are numerous. Different embodiments orimplementations may yield different advantages. One advantage of theinvention is that position information can be acquired in a powerefficient manner. Another advantage of the invention is that positionmonitoring can be achieved over an extended period. Still anotheradvantage of the invention is that position information of objects beingmonitored can be centrally maintained and available through access to awebsite (e.g., monitoring server). Yet another advantage of theinvention is that position monitoring apparatus can be inexpensive andhave a small form factor, and thus be suitable for many uses.

The many features and advantages of the present invention are apparentfrom the written description, and thus it is intended by the appendedclaims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention.Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur tothose skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention tothe exact construction and operation as illustrated and described.Hence, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to asfalling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A battery-powered position acquisition apparatus,comprising: a position detection unit that acquires position datapertaining to said position acquisition apparatus; a communicationinterface for data communication over at least a wireless network; and acontroller operatively connected to said position detection unit andsaid communication interface, said controller being configured toreceive a configuration request via at least the communicationinterface, the configuration request requesting that status updates fromsaid position acquisition apparatus be provided in accordance with aspecified status update rate, and said controller subsequently operatesto produce a status update in accordance with the specified statusupdate rate by at least accessing position information of the positionacquisition apparatus determined using at least the position dataacquired by said position detection unit, the status update including atleast the position information, wherein the configuration requestreceived via the communication interface denotes the specified statusupdate rate to be utilized by said position acquisition apparatus, andwherein the controller is configured to initiate transmission of thestatus update produced in accordance with the specified status updaterate via at least said communication interface.
 2. A battery-poweredposition acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein saidposition acquisition apparatus operates to periodically transmitsuccessive status updates in accordance with a rate that is dependent onthe specified update rate.
 3. A battery-powered position acquisitionapparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein the position acquisitionapparatus includes a motion sensor, and wherein the position acquisitionapparatus operates to stop the successive status updates based on adetermination that data from the motion sensor indicates that theposition acquisition apparatus is not moving.
 4. A battery-poweredposition acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein theposition acquisition apparatus includes a motion monitoring unit, andwherein the position acquisition apparatus operates to reduce rate ofthe successive status updates to a minimum rate lower than the specifiedupdate rate based on a determination that data from the motionmonitoring unit indicates that the position acquisition apparatus is notmoving.
 5. A battery-powered position acquisition apparatus as recitedin claim 2, wherein the position acquisition apparatus includes a motionsensor, and wherein the position acquisition apparatus operates toreduce rate of the status updates based on data from the motion sensor.6. A battery-powered position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim2, wherein the position acquisition apparatus includes a motion sensor,and wherein the position acquisition apparatus operates to: determine anamount of movement of the position acquisition apparatus based on datafrom the motion sensor; and alter a rate of the status updates up ordown depending on the amount of movement.
 7. A battery-powered positionacquisition apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein the positionacquisition apparatus includes a motion monitoring unit, and wherein theposition acquisition apparatus operates to: determine an amount ofmovement of the position acquisition apparatus based on data from themotion monitoring unit; alter a rate of the status updates up or downdepending on the amount of movement; and ensure that, notwithstandingamount of movement, the rate of the status updates is at least at aminimum rate, the minimum rate being greater than zero.
 8. Abattery-powered position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 1,wherein said position acquisition apparatus includes or couples to abattery, and wherein said controller is further configured to: determinewhether a charge level of said battery is deemed low, and reduce howfrequently the status updates are wirelessly transmitted when it isdetermined that the charge level of said battery is deemed low.
 9. Abattery-powered position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 8,wherein the determining whether the charge level of said battery isdeemed low is based on a threshold level.
 10. A battery-powered positionacquisition apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said positionacquisition unit comprises a GPS receiver.
 11. A battery-poweredposition acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein saidposition acquisition apparatus is used to track location of an asset orobject.
 12. A method for acquiring a status update from a portable,battery-powered status acquisition apparatus, the status acquisitionapparatus including at least a position detection unit for acquiringposition data and a communication interface for data communication overone or more wireless networks, the method comprising: receiving aconfiguration request via at least the communication interface, theconfiguration request requesting that status updates from the statusacquisition apparatus be provided in accordance with a specified statusupdate rate, the configuration request denoting the specified statusupdate rate to be utilized by the status acquisition apparatus;acquiring position data via the position detection unit; producing astatus update in accordance with the specified status update rate, thestatus update including or being based on at least the position dataacquired by the position detection unit; and transmitting, via thecommunication interface, the status update in accordance with thespecified position update rate.
 13. A method as recited in claim 12,wherein the method comprises: repeating the acquiring, the producing andthe transmitting for a plurality of successive status updates.
 14. Amethod as recited in claim 13, wherein the transmitting of each of theplurality of successive status updates are periodically performed inaccordance with the specified update rate.
 15. A method as recited inclaim 14, wherein the status acquisition apparatus includes a motionsensor, and wherein the method comprises: stopping the successive statusupdates in accordance with the specified update rate based on adetermination that data from the motion sensor indicates that the statusacquisition apparatus is not moving.
 16. A method as recited in claim15, wherein the method comprises: subsequently providing another statusupdate as per a time limit even though data from the motion sensorindicates that the status acquisition apparatus is still not moving. 17.A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the method comprises:subsequently resuming the successive status updates in accordance withthe specified update rate when data from the motion sensor indicatesthat the status acquisition apparatus is again moving.
 18. A method asrecited in claim 14, wherein the status acquisition apparatus includes amotion sensor, and wherein the method comprises: reducing rate of thesuccessive status updates to a rate lower than the specified update ratebased on a determination that data from the motion sensor indicates thatthe status acquisition apparatus is not moving.
 19. A method as recitedin claim 13, wherein the status acquisition apparatus includes a motionmonitoring unit, and wherein the method comprises: reducing rate of thesuccessive status updates to a minimum rate lower than the specifiedupdate rate based on a determination that data from the motionmonitoring unit indicates that the status acquisition apparatus is notmoving.
 20. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the statusacquisition apparatus includes a motion monitoring unit, and wherein themethod comprises: determining an amount of movement of the statusacquisition apparatus based on data from the motion monitoring unit;altering a rate of the status updates up or down depending on the amountof movement; and ensuring that, notwithstanding amount of movement, therate of the status updates is at least at a minimum rate, the minimumrate being greater than zero.
 21. A method as recited in claim 12,wherein the status acquisition apparatus is used to track location of anasset or object.
 22. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the statusacquisition apparatus includes a motion monitoring unit, and wherein themethod comprises: acquiring data via the motion monitoring unit; andtransmitting, via the communication interface, the data acquired via themotion monitoring unit.
 23. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein thetransmitting of the data acquired via the motion monitoring unit istransmitted with the status update.
 24. A method as recited in claim 22,wherein the transmitting of the data acquired via the motion monitoringunit includes speed data or direction of movement data of the statusacquisition apparatus.
 25. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein thetransmitting of the data acquired via the motion monitoring unitincludes vibration data or force data.
 26. A method as recited in claim12, wherein the status acquisition apparatus includes or couples to abattery, and wherein the method comprises: determining whether a chargelevel or the battery is deemed low, and reducing how frequently thestatus updates are wirelessly transmitted when it is determined that thecharge level of the battery is deemed low.
 27. A method as recited inclaim 26, wherein the determining whether the charge level of thebattery is deemed low is based on a threshold level.
 28. Anon-transitory computer readable medium including at least computerprogram code tangibly stored thereon, the computer program codeoperating to acquire status updates from a plurality of portable,battery-powered status acquisition apparatus, each of the plurality ofstatus acquisition apparatus including at least a position detectionunit for acquiring position data and a communication interface for datacommunication over one or more wireless networks, the computer readablemedium comprising: computer program code for providing a graphical userinterface configured to facilitate designation of a specified statusupdate rate for status information to be received from a specified oneor more of the plurality of status acquisition apparatus; computerprogram code for sending a configuration request to the specified one ormore of the plurality of status acquisition apparatus via at least thecommunication interface associated therewith, the configuration requestrequesting that status updates from the specified one or more of theplurality of status acquisition apparatus be provided in accordance withthe specified status update rate, the configuration request denoting thespecified status update rate to be utilized by the specified one or moreof the plurality of status acquisition apparatus; and computer programcode for receiving status updates from the specified one or more of theplurality of status acquisition apparatus via at least the communicationinterface associated therewith, the status updates being received fromthe specified one or more of the plurality of status acquisitionapparatus after the configuration request has been sent thereto, and thestatus updates being received from the specified one or more of theplurality of status acquisition apparatus being in accordance with thespecified status update rate, wherein, for a given one of the one ormore of the plurality of status acquisition apparatus, the statusupdates being received therefrom include or are based on at least theposition data acquired by the position detection unit of the given oneof the one or more of the plurality of status acquisition apparatus. 29.A non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 28,wherein the position detection unit comprises a GPS receiver.
 30. Anon-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 28, whereineach of the plurality of status acquisition apparatus are used to tracklocation of an asset or object.
 31. A non-transitory computer readablemedium as recited in claim 30, wherein the status acquisition apparatusincludes or couples to a battery, and wherein the method comprises:determining whether a charge level of the battery is deemed low, andreducing how frequently the status updates are wirelessly transmittedwhen it is determined that the charge level of the battery is deemedlow.
 32. A method as recited in claim 31, wherein the determiningwhether the charge level of the battery is deemed low is based on athreshold level.